Anchor O.B.A. Our Barrel Ale

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
San Francisco, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Magnum. Pours brown with a thin but persistent tan head. Smells of vanilla, oak, some whiskey, caramel, cognac, some spicy hints, peppery. Taste reveals some vinuous hints initially that give way to a dry oakiness with some sweet toffee and dark fruity elements and a peppery, nutty finish. Excellent!

Magnum generously shared by ygtbsm. Thanks again Brad! Pours a dark copper/mahogany colorwith golden ruby edges and a thin half finger off white head that slowly fades into a lasting ring. Faint lacing left behind. Sweet boozy bourbon aroma with hints of caramel, toffee, rye and hazelnut. The barrel presence with toasted oak, coconut, vanilla and bourbon but it doesn’t overpower the malt notes of the base beer. Lots of biscuit, vanilla, caramel and dark fruit. Medium bodied and perfectly balanced with a nice amount of sweet bourbon, earthy oak and tons of vanilla sweetness. Theres also some toasted coconut and faint heat but not too boozy. Very nicely balanced and the abv is well masked masking it easy to drink. Malty notes of caramel, toffee, biscuit and rye. The spirit is perfectly integrated into the flavor of the beer without being astringent or one dimensional. Amazing.

Bottle thx to Molenbrouwer. Clear redbrown color, short head. Wonderful aroma of roasted malt, whisky, touch of honey, wood. Slight sweet taste, port and bourbon. Complex and nicely balanced. Great stuff.

Pours with a dark amber brown body topped by a medium thick head with little lacing. It’s slightly sweet and malty with great vanilla, caramel and bourbon notes. Full bodied and smooth yet warming.

Woodshop. Thanks drbill! Brown pour. Hardly any head. Aroma of brown sugar, bourbon, oak, toffee, maple syrup and honey. Flavor is sublime. Smooth and sweet without being cloying. Maple, toffee, caramel, booze, oak, honey...fuck this was damn good.

A: The pour is a clear, amber color with a mild carbonation and a small off-white head. S: A nice combination of sweet caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and dark fruit aromas fills the nose. There is some barrel influence, but nothing overwhelming. T: A nice, complex flavor which follows the nose for the most part. The caramel and dark fruits lead the way with some undertones of oak and bourbon. There’s also a slight spice to the beer which I did not detect much of in the nose. M: The low level of carbonation lends the beer a slightly slick mouthfeel, even with its medium body. I will say I was expecting this to be a bit fuller. D: Despite a slight disappointment on the mouthfeel, I found this to be a great offering from Anchor, and one that I’ve very much wanted to try. I certainly did not plan on having so many of my highly coveted wants tasted in one day.

Bottle (1 liter?). Poured a brownish red. Nose is slight bourbon, wood, some vanilla and toasted grains. Flavor is a smooth roasted caramel, vanilla, bourbon, oak, grassiness, and slight booze. Very nice.

Deep amber with frothy white head and lace. Aroma of rich sweet dried fruit. Rich sweet dried fruit and full malt flavor. Full bodied with good carbonation. Very nice beer.

Big thanks to some dude at the tasting, you rock dude. Pours deep striking mahogany with thin off white head. The aroma is full bourbon then oak and then wafting over to a robust layer of tasty smelling sticky maltiness. The taste starts with pure malt, dark fruitiness and bourbon sweetness. A very nice combination creating a smooth opening act. It then becomes thinner with booze and then some modest notes of oak. The stuff is drinking very nice and ending somewhat sweet, nutty, sweet bourbon, oak and yum.

Huge thanks to Floydster for sending me this uber rare treat. A: Pours light brown with lots of amber showing through. Small head with some spotty lace. S: Lots of barrel in the aroma. Oak stands out with mild sweet brown sugar notes. There are hints of caramel and a dash of vanilla as well. T: Starts out nice and sweet.....malty. Lots of brown sugar and toffee. Vanilla comes through in a nice way as well. There are notes of oak and bourbon. The barrel does not overpower this one. It is subdued, but so damn enjoyable. So many people over do it with a barrel this beer is nicely done. Dare I say a sessionable barrel aged beer? M: On the thinner side for the style. Sort of low in carbonation, but I almost prefer my barrel aged beers that way. D: The most drinkable barrel aged beer I think I have had. Score one for Anchor. I like it a lot.